Eye Disease Management & Treatment

Whether you're having problems with your eye sight or are experiencing eye-related complications from other conditions, you want to know that your eyes are in good hands. After all, you depend on your vision for just about every aspect of your daily life.

At Campus Eye Center we've made eye care our focus for over 40 years. Our board-certified ophthalmologists, optometrists, nurses, technicians and staff are dedicated to your eye health with the experience that brings results. If you're reading this, you've likely been referred to us for a specific issue. Rest assured, we understand and we're here to help.

Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in adults after age 50. The macula (the part of the retina responsible for central, detailed vision) becomes damaged, resulting in limited central vision. Side vision usually remains clear.

Risk Factors:

Over age 60

Smoking

Obesity

Caucasian

Female

Family history

It's important to get regular eye exams to monitor your vision and check for signs of macular degeneration.
In addition to regular eye exams, Campus eye Center also offers Maculogix AdaptDx screening to our patients. We are the FIRST ophthalmology office in the Lancaster area to offer this technology that measures dark adaptation. Along with an annual comprehensive examination, it can provide information to detect macular damage earlier and allow for prompt intervention.

Seeing a red spot on your eye can be alarming, but it is almost always harmless. Red eye is like a bruise on your skin and usually appears as a single concentrated spot of red, on the white of the eye. Red eye, also known as subconjunctival hemorrhage does not affect vision and generally does not cause pain.

Concerned about your red eye? We'd be happy to take a look to put your mind at ease.

If your eyes sting, burn or feel scratchy, you may have a condition called dry eyes. To be comfortable, your eyes need to be lubricated with tears. When your eyes don't produce enough tears to bathe the surface of the eyes, that surface becomes irritated.

Concerned about dry eyes? We can help with a variety of treatment options!

If you've seen flashes of light, stars or streaks that aren't really there, you've experienced flashes. A few of these flashes are seen by everyone from time to time. Usually you will see them in one eye at a time. Flashes are caused by vitreous (the gel that fills the inside of your eye) pulling on the retina (the membrane lining the inside of your eye).

While most flashes are harmless, occasionally flashes can be a sign of other eye problems.
Flashes that appear all of a sudden or greatly increase in number could be a sign of a problem.

Floaters look like dark specks, clouds, threads or spider webs moving through your vision. Most people see them once in a while. Floaters may be pieces of gel or other material floating inside your eye. They are usually harmless.

As you age you are more likely to notice floaters. Floaters can also be caused by an eye injury or surgery. People who are nearsighted also see more floaters. If floaters appear suddenly or greatly increase in number, they can be a sign of an eye problem that needs care.

Blepharitis is inflammation of the membrane covering the inside of the eyelid and the white of the eye. It is caused by bacteria on the eyelids or on the skin around the eyes. Dandruff or oily skin can also cause blepharitis. Wearing contact lenses or makeup can make symptoms worse.

If blepharitis is not treated promptly, it can lead to a stye (an infection at the base of an eyelash or oil gland) or a chronic cyst (chalazion) which could require surgery to remove.

Think you may be suffering from blepharitis? Find out for sure and get relief.

Diabetic retinopathy is a serious complication of diabetes that affects eyes. It is caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina).

At first, diabetic retinopathy may cause no symptoms or only mild vision problems. Eventually, it can lead to blindness.

The condition can develop in anyone who has type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The longer you have diabetes and the less controlled your blood sugar is, the more likely you are to develop this eye complication. Over time, too much sugar in your blood can lead to the blockage of the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina, compromising its blood supply. As a result, the eye attempts to grow new blood vessels. But these new blood vessels don't develop properly and can leak easily. Complications related to this abnormal growth of blood vessels in the retina can lead to serious vision problems.

Anyone who has diabetes can develop diabetic retinopathy. Risk of developing the eye condition can increase as a result of:

Duration of diabetes — the longer you have diabetes, the greater your risk of developing diabetic retinopathy

Poor control of your blood sugar level

High blood pressure

High cholesterol

Pregnancy

Tobacco use

Being black, Hispanic or Native American

You might not have symptoms in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy. As the condition progresses, diabetic retinopathy symptoms may include:

Spots or dark strings floating in your vision (floaters)

Blurred vision

Fluctuating vision

Impaired color vision

Dark or empty areas in your vision

Vision loss

Careful management of your diabetes is the best way to prevent vision loss. If you have diabetes, see your eye doctor for a yearly eye exam with dilation — even if your vision seems fine. Pregnancy may worsen diabetic retinopathy, so if you're pregnant, your eye doctor may recommend additional eye exams throughout your pregnancy.

Early diabetic retinopathy. In this more common form — called nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) — new blood vessels aren't growing (proliferating).

When you have NPDR, the walls of the blood vessels in your retina weaken. Tiny bulges (microaneurysms) protrude from the vessel walls of the smaller vessels, sometimes leaking fluid and blood into the retina. Larger retinal vessels can begin to dilate and become irregular in diameter, as well. NPDR can progress from mild to severe, as more blood vessels become blocked.

Nerve fibers in the retina may begin to swell. Sometimes the central part of the retina (macula) begins to swell (macular edema), a condition that requires treatment.

Advanced diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy can progress to this more severe type, known as proliferative diabetic retinopathy. In this type, damaged blood vessels close off, causing the growth of new, abnormal blood vessels in the retina, and can leak into the clear, jelly-like substance that fills the center of your eye (vitreous).

Eventually, scar tissue stimulated by the growth of new blood vessels may cause the retina to detach from the back of your eye. If the new blood vessels interfere with the normal flow of fluid out of the eye, pressure may build up in the eyeball. This can damage the nerve that carries images from your eye to your brain (optic nerve), resulting in glaucoma.

Eye Injuries

Injuries to the eyes can take many forms from a simple spill of the wrong chemical to serious injury from an accident. Don't take chances with your eyes. If you've experienced an injury or trauma, get your eyes checked right away to avoid complications or possible vision loss.